New Block of the Month Club!

Our newest Block of the Month Club!

Our newest Block of the Month Club, the Homeland Army, begins on January 1st. This club explores how the events of World War I changed everything for women in America today.

The title of the club comes from a poem written by Pulitzer Prize Winning Poet Sara Teasdale. I came across it in the December 1918 issue of Red Cross Magazine and was very moved by it. Teasdale's poem reflects on the suffering and loss that World War I inflicted on the women left behind on the American home front during this terrible war. It reads:

1930s Colorway

"...we are the millions of women; 
we are the homeland army, the patient ones.
Take the work of our hands, take our secret weeping,
we who have given our husbands, our brothers, our sons." 

As I began studying this time period, I realized that world events nearly 100 years ago affect our lives to this day, from the role of women in modern society, to social upheaval, and the heroic men and women whose sacrifices shaped nations, new and old. 

The more I read about this time period, the  more amazed I became at what these women accomplished. I developed this program as a way to share this information while giving participants an opportunity to create beautiful quilt blocks that were popular in the early part of the 20th Century.

Batiks Colorway

The Homeland Army is available at Grandma's Attic as a Block of the Month Club in three different colorways: 1920s Patriotic, 1930s, and Batiks--an updated twist on traditional colors. 

Each month, participants receive the fabric needed to create a 12" quilt block. They also receive a mini magazine filled with informative articles, biographies, poems, embroidery patterns and stories. A separate omnibus booklet includes fashions, quotes, vintage advertisements, rationing recipes and more.

1920s Patriotic Colorway

By the time this club ends, participants will have created a beautiful quilt to remind them of their inspirational and educational journey through this period of women's history.

I am hoping that you will be as interested in what women were doing during World War I as I have been. It is remarkable how in the span of only a few short years, the role of women could be so dramatically changed and yet able to shape how we live our lives today. To join this club, click here.

16 New Colors of DMC Floss!

DMC's 16 New Colors Pack

The DMC Company has just added 16 new colors to their line of 100% cotton six strand embroidery floss. Developed by famous needlework designers, these are the first new colors that have been added since 2001. The new colors expand on several of DMC's existing color families, and are split into two different palettes. There are eight soft, natural shades and eight bright, vibrant hues. These 16 colors are important bridges for color families that are already in the line. Unlike painters who can mix paints together, needle workers rely on floss colors to create shading and depth.

Each skein of DMC Floss is assigned both a number and a color family name, although many of us simply refer to a skein of floss by its number. For instance, DMC #470 is Light Avocado Green but most people refer to it only as DMC #470. Each skein of floss includes 8.7 yards of floss.

Bohemian Tapestry Cross Stitch Pattern

The eight new colors in soft, natural shades are:  #3880 Medium Very Dark Shell Pink; #3881 Pale Avocado Green; #3882 Medium Light Cocoa; #3883 Medium Light Copper; #3884 Medium Light Pewter; #3886 Very Dark Plum, and #3887 Ultra Very Dark Lavender.

The eight new colors in bright, vibrant hues are #3888 Medium Dark Antique Violet; #3889 Medium Light Lemon; #3891 Very Dark Bright Turquoise; #3892 Medium Light Orange Spice; #3893 Very Light Mocha Beige; #3894 Very Light Parrot Green, and #3895 Medium Dark Beaver Grey.

All DMC Floss is made in France by the DMC Company which has been in business for 268 years. Their floss is made of top quality 100% Egyptian cotton that is color fast and fade resistant. Mercerized for strength and shine, DMC offers guaranteed color consistency from one skein to the next. With the addition of these sixteen new colors, there are now 470 solid colors and 18 variegated colors of DMC six strand embroidery floss.

For now, the new colors are available in a convenient pack which includes all 16 new colors, plus three free cross stitch patterns, Bohemian Tapestry, Tropical Punch and Woodland Walk. Quilters will want toadd these new colors to their embroidery floss selections too.To order, click here

Patsy's Potholder Club

Patsy's Potholder Club

Fun, fun, and even more fun! That's what is in store when you join Patsy's Potholder Club. Filled with delicious fruit embroideries, this club is guaranteed to keep you in stitches all year long. 

Each potholder represents a different fruit pie. All your favorite pies are represented, including apple, peach, pumpkin, key lime, cherry, blackberry and more! In addition to the embroidery, each potholder is surrounded with the fabric to complement the embroidery.

Patsy's Pie Shop Recipe Book

Club members receive one potholder kit per month for 12 months. Included in the kit are the supplies you need to create a scrumptious potholder, including fabric, floss, and insul-brite batting. You also receive a recipe pamphlet filled with sweet treats to coordinate with each potholder's theme. These are so much fun you'll want to keep them for your own kitchen, or give them as gifts to family and friends. Themes include applies, cherries, lemons, blackberries, chocolate cream, and key lime.

Patsy's Pie Shop Recipe Books include several recipes to make using the fruit of the month. Bright and colorful, you will want to collect them all. Click here to join the club.

Veterans Day

Flag Fabric by The Gallery

Veterans Day is an official United States holiday honoring those who have served in the armed service of America. First proclaimed by President Woodrow Wilson, November 11 was set aside to honor those who had fought in "The Great War," also known as World War I. November 11 was chosen in honor of the formal end of hostilities during World War I on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918.

The United States Congress passed a resolution on June 4, 1926, requesting that President Calvin Coolidge issue another proclamation to observe November 11 with appropriate ceremonies. By Congressional Act in 1938, the day was made into a national holiday "to be dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be thereafter celebrated and known as Armistice Day."

In 1945, Raymond Weeks of Birmingham, Alabama, organized a National Veterans Day parade to honor American veterans of all wars. In 1954, Congress passed a bill, signed by President Eisenhower, proclaiming November 11 as Veterans Day. In 1982, Raymond Weeks received the Presidential Citizens Medal from President Reagan. Today, Weeks' local parade and ceremonies are an annual event celebrated nationwide.

Pumpkin Pie Recipe

Delicious Pumpkin Pie

"Over the River and Through the Wood, to Grandmother's House we go!" This verse has long been associated with going home for Thanksgiving. But did you know that when Lydia Maria Child wrote this poem in 1844, for her book Flowers for Children, Vol. 2, the original poem included six verses that began "Over the river and through the wood, to Grandfather's House we go."

Lydia Maria Child was a 19th Century novelist, journalist and teacher, who wrote extensively about the need to eliminate slavery. She named her poem, "A Boy's Thanksgiving Day" and wrote it to commemorate visits to her Grandfather's House as a child.

The original poem included six verses, the last two of which are:

    Over the river, and through the wood
    When Grandmother sees us come,
    She will say, "O, dear, the children are here,
    bring a pie for everyone."

    Over the river, and through the wood--
    now Grandmother's cap I spy!
    Hurrah for the fun! Is the pudding done?
    Hurray for the pumpkin pie!

Here's a pumpkin pie recipe that my own grandmother used at Thanksgiving.

Pumpkin Pie

1-1/4 cups pumpkin puree, canned or fresh
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup evaporated milk, diluted
2 tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 unbaked pastry shell (9 inch)

Combine pumpkin, sugar, salt, spices, and flour in a medium mixing bowl. Add eggs; mix well. Add evaporated milk, water, and vanilla; mix well. Pour into pastry-lined pie pan. Bake at 400 degrees F for 15 minutes; reduce heat to 350 degrees F, and bake for about 35 minutes longer, or until the center is set.